Governor Polis, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Announce 2026 Human-Bear Conflict Reduction Grant Recipients, Keeping Colorado Communities Safe and Protecting Wildlife

DENVER - Today, Governor Polis and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announced the 2026 funding recipients of the Human-Bear Conflict Reduction Community Grant, which will distribute $1 million to 17 efforts around the state. These grants provide funding for local communities, municipalities, businesses and nonprofit organizations working to create innovative ways to reduce human-bear conflict and keep communities and wildlife safe.

"Our quality of life, plentiful outdoor recreation opportunities, and jaw-dropping landscapes attract both families and animals to our state. That's why these common-sense and data-driven strategies are so important to reduce human-bear conflicts and ensure that all Coloradans and wildlife are safe," said Governor Jared Polis.

In 2021, the Human-Bear Conflict Reduction Community Grant was created to support local initiatives working to prevent bear conflicts. This initiative was so popular and successful that, in partnership with Governor Polis, CPW decided to continue it in future years and fund it in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

This spring, CPW offered up to $1 million, distributed through a competitive grant process, in order to support more projects that prevent conflicts with bears in local communities. CPW received 27 applications this year, requesting $2.2 million in funding.

"Human-bear conflict measures cannot be successful without collaboration between local communities, wildlife managers and individuals," said CPW Grant Manager Travis Long. "Fortunately, CPW has seen success with this grant program with many communities taking advantage of the opportunities this funding provided and implementing projects to help reduce conflicts with bears."

In 2026, 12 proposals received the full amount of requested funding and five proposals received partial funding:

Manitou Springs - Bear-Resistant Containers - $100,000

Expanding on previous work completed in Manitou Springs, this project will launch a city-wide initiative to distribute bear-resistant residential trash bins and replace non-compliant public receptacles across its downtown corridor and high-traffic trailheads.

Snowmass Village - Dumpster Enclosure - $56,250

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The Snowmass Village Housing Department will replace a dilapidated, non-compliant dumpster shed that currently serves three local affordable housing developments.

Town of South Fork - Dumpsters and Bins - $58,500

The Town of South Fork is launching a project to provide low-cost, bear-resistant trash receptacles to local businesses and residents. The project will provide approximately 100 residential trash bins and up to 20 commercial dumpsters.

Roaring Fork Valley - All Valley Resources, Self-Lock Waste Containers - $48,550

All Valley Resources will upgrade existing waste storage in the Roaring Fork Valley to self-locking containers, reducing access to attractants such as cooking oil and food waste. They will purchase and deploy approximately 70 heavy-duty self-locking containers with this award.

Eagle - Eagle Ranch HOA, Trash Infrastructure - $40,000

The Eagle Ranch Association will replace all non-compliant public trash receptacles with IGBC-certified bear-resistant enclosures across park and commercial locations in Eagle, Colorado. This two-phase infrastructure upgrade will bring the community into full compliance with local wildlife protection laws.

Town of Oak Creek - Bear-Resistant Container - $161,625

The Town of Oak Creek will purchase and distribute 550 bear-resistant trash totes to all residential customers at no extra cost. Paired with a new municipal ordinance mandating their use, this project directly removes barriers to eliminate trash as a major attractant and reduce human-bear conflicts throughout the community.

Eagle - Mountain Tots Preschool, Trash Enclosure - $35,057

As part of its campus construction in Eagle, Colorado, Mountain Tots Preschool will install an IGBC-certified, bear-resistant dumpster enclosure system to eliminate food attractants near its new childcare facility.

Town of Minturn - Downtown Containers - $100,000

The Town of Minturn will replace aging infrastructure in its historic commercial district with a secure, centralized trash and recycling compactor system. By eliminating loose outdoor containers and installing additional wildlife-proof public receptacles, the project aims to reduce recurring garbage-driven bear activity.

Boulder County - Colorado Bear Coalition, Trash Bins - $34,991

In partnership with the Town of Nederland and Boulder County Public Works, the Colorado Bear Coalition will distribute bear-resistant trash containers to households in Nederland and Allenspark. This initiative expands on prior grant efforts to protect residents, safeguard local bears, and eliminate unsecured household waste in underserved mountain neighborhoods.

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Town of Parachute - Bear-Resistant Containers - $64,365

To address conflict near local neighborhoods and schools, the Town of Parachute will launch a project to replace 365 residential trash cans with bear-resistant containers and fit 13 commercial dumpsters with wildlife-resistant lids.

Twin Lakes - Friends of Twin Lakes, Bear-Resistant Containers - $75,000

Friends of Twin Lakes will distribute up to 380 IGBC-certified, 64-gallon bear-resistant trash containers to residents and businesses in targeted, high-conflict areas. Offered for free or a small donation, these tracked containers aim to eliminate accessible attractants.

Rico, Dolores and Mancos - Countryside Disposal, Bear-Resistant Trash Bins - $70,000

Countryside Disposal will roll out a high-conflict area bear-resistant waste program to serve 405 residential customers and 34 commercial dumpsters across Rico, Dolores, and Mancos, Colorado.

Ward - YMCA of Northern Colorado, Multi-Phase Bear Proofing - $32,956

The YMCA of Northern Colorado will install permanent bear mitigation infrastructure at Camp Tumbleson Lake in Ward, Colorado. The project will combine stabilized dumpster pads, electric fencing, and bear-resistant cans.

El Paso and Fremont - Mountaindale RV, Bear-Resistant Containers - $26,293

Mountaindale RV Resort will replace damaged waste infrastructure with secure, bear-resistant dumpsters at its property between El Paso and Fremont counties. The resort aims to eliminate persistent food attractants.

Aspen Village - Bear-Resistant Trash Bins - $45,000

Aspen Village will purchase and deploy 125 bear-resistant residential trash bins within the community in Pitkin County. Close proximity to the Pitkin County Landfill results in frequent bear issues, and this project aims to reduce the availability of attractants.

Eldorado Springs - Bear-Resistant Containers - $22,713

The Eldorado Springs Community Association and the Eldorado Springs Bear Working Group are requesting funding to distribute IGBC-certified bear-resistant trash containers to targeted households and establish a cart maintenance fund.

Mountain View Village - Bear-Resistant Containers - $28,700

Located near Leadville, Mountain View Village will address over eight years of persistent bear activity by leveraging grant funding to replace all regular residential trash cans with bear-proof containers.

Live BearWise®. Keep bears wild.

As a member of BearWise, CPW encourages everyone to share BearWise information with their neighbors and communities to help prevent conflicts with bears. CPW asks all residents and visitors to help save Colorado's bears by being actively bear prepared throughout the year. Human-bear conflicts are most often traced back to human behavior. Living BearWise is the most effective way to prevent human-caused conflicts with bears.

For more information on bears in Colorado, visit cpw.state.co.us/living-bears. For questions or to report bear problems, call a nearby CPW office.

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